Convertible dump-cart.



Patented Feb. 15

1916. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

SHINGTDN D c THE COLUMBIA FLA J. F. ALBRECHT.

CONVERTIBLE DUMP CART.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1914.

Patented Feb, 15,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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470% 47 Q/re 072/25 53 %L5 Qfifown THE COLUAHDIA \"LANOGRAPH CD"WASHINGTON, D- CI JOHN F. ALBRECHT, or e ENooE, MINNESOTA.

CONVERTIBLE DUMP-CART. 7

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filedJuly 15, 1914. Serial No. 851,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. ALBRECHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Glencoe, in the county of McLeod and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Dump-Carts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to improvements in convertible dump carts; and, tothis end, it consists of the novel devices, and combinations of devices,hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a train, madeup of a plurality of the improved carts, some parts being broken away;Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with some parts removed; Fig. 3 is aside elevation of one of the improved carts, on an enlarged scale,equipped with combined brakes and steering device, said cart usuallybeing placed at the rear of the train; some parts being broken away;Fig. 4 is a plan View of the cart shown in Fig. 3, with some partsremoved; Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section, taken on the line 00 mof Fig. t; Fig. 6 is a view, partly in end elevation and partly intransverse section, taken on the line m :0 of Fig. 3, on an enlargedscale; and Fig. 7 is a detail View, principally in longitudinal verticalsection, taken on the line a w of Fig. 4, on an enlarged scale.

As all of the carts are identical in construction, the description ofone will sufiice.

The numeral 1 indicates a pair of relatively large wheels, journaled onaxially aligned stub axles 2, secured, one to each end of a bolster 3.As shown, this bolster 3 is made up' of a pair of channel bars placedback to back and laterally spaced apart, as best shown in Fig.7, withthe inner ends of the stub axles 2 extended therebetween and rigidlysecured thereto. Mounted on the bolster 3 is a rectangular frame 4;,constructed of channel bars rigidly secured together with their flangesturned outward. Extending through the longitudinal center of the frame 1is a T-bar 5, rigidlysecured at its ends to theend members of the frame4. The frame 4: and bar 5 rest on the bolster 3 at their longitudinalcenters, so that the same are balanced on said bolster, and are.rigidly'secured thereto, by rivets or other The web of the bar 5 isrelatively wise. narrow and the upper flanges of said bar extend in thesame horizontal plane with the horizontal flanges of angle bars6,secured to and within the frame 4.

The body 7 of the cart, as shown, has straight vertical ends andhopper-likesides. This body 7 is preferably constructed from sheetmetal, has an open bottom and is of a size to fit within the frame 4 andrest, at its lower edge,'on the horizontal flanges of the angle bars 6.Said body may either loosely rest Within the frame 4: or may be rigidlysecured thereto.

The bolster 3 and bar 5 divide the open bottom of the body 7 into fourrectangular openings. These openings are normally closed by fourtrapdoors 8, hinged at their inner ends to horizontalhinge rods, 9,extended transversely of thev frame 4 directly over the bolster 3, andanchored at their ends I to the side members of the frame 4. By thisarrangement, the two trap doors 8 on the same side of the bolster 3 aremounted on the same hinge rod 9 and move in the same direction to andfrom open positions. These trap doors work under. the top flanges of thebar 5 and the horizontalflanges of the angle bars'6, and, when in closedpositions, overlap said flanges, thus completely closing the open bottomof the body 7.

The pair of drop doors 8 on each hinge rod 9 is raised and loweredsimultaneously by a windlass shaft 10, and apair of flexible connections11. The windlass shafts 10 extend transversely'of the body 7 directlyover the free end portions of the drop doors 8 and are journaled in thesides of said body. On one end of each windlass shaft 10 is an operatinghand crank 12 and ratchet wheel 13. Cooperating with each ratchet wheel13 is a pawl 14:, pivoted to the body 7. The flexible connections orcables 11 are arranged to be wound on the windlass shafts 10 and theirouter ends are secured one to each of the drop doors 8. Obviously, byrotating the Windlass shafts 10, the drop doors 8' may be raised orlowered, at'will', and, by turningthe pawls 1 1 into engagement with theratchet wheels 13, said shafts may be held in different set positions tohold the drop doors 8 closed, or in different open positions. As asupplemental means for lockingeach drop door 8 closed, is provided anintermediately pivoted dog15. These dogs 15 are pivoted at-16 to thelower flange of the end members of the frame 4: and their inner endswork through slots 17 formed in the webs of said end members, and are ofa length suflicient to extend under the drop doors 8, and hold the sameclosed. The two dogs 15, at each end of the frame 4., are connected attheir outer ends, for simultaneous movements, by an. operating rod 18,having at each end a hand piece.

It is important to note that the drop doors 8 are carried entirely bythe frame 4 and, when the body 7 is removed. from the cart, afford aplatform suitable for hauling large stones, cement in. sacks, or anyheavy mate rial. that would be difficult to lift over the high sides ofthebody 7. To remove the body 7 from the frame 4, it is only necessaryto detach the cables 11 from the drop doors 8. When the body 7 isremoved from. the frame, the dogs 15 afford the only means for holdingthe drop doors 8 closed.

The improved carts which go to make up the train are connected in tandemby a pluralityof draw bars 19. These draw bars are pivotally connectedby king bolts 20 on the carts to form a continuous draw bar throughoutthe length of the train. There is one of these king bolts on eachcart,'and the same is located at the longitudinal center of the bolster3, extends between the channel bars forming said bolster, and isprovided at its lower end with a nut and a washer. These king bolts 20also pivotally connect the carts to the pivotal connections between thedraw bars. On each end of the cart is rigidly secured a transverselyextended guide strap 21, betweenwhich, and the end members of the frame4, the draw bars 19 work.

To impart like angular turning movements to the different carts of thetrain, adjacent ends of said carts are connected by crossed flexibleconnections 22. The ends of these flexible connections 22 are secured tothe diagonally opposite side members of the frames of adjacent carts.The flexible con-- nections or chains 22, at the front end of theforemost cart, are directly connected, as shown, to the foremost drawbar19, which acts as a tongue in steering the first or foremost cart. Thefollowing carts will be secured by the cross connections 22.

The train may be drawn by a tractor or other suitable motive power, towhich the pole of the front cart is attached. In some instances, itmight be desirable to connect the cross chains at the front end oftheforemost cart directlyto the tractor in order to receive its steeringmovement. When the train is turning a curve, the axles of the carts.

will be radial of the center of the curve traveled, and the draw bars 19will form the chords of the arc of the curve traveled.

Brakes arearranged for application to the wheels of the rearmost cart ofthe train.-

These brakes comprise a rock shaft'23, jour= naled in the rearwardlyprojecting ends of the Side bars of the frame 4, crank arms 24, rigidlysecured. to-the outwardly projecting ends of said shaft, andshoe-equipped brake" heads 25, pivotally secured to the free ends of thearms 24. To the intermediate portion of the rock shaft 23 isrigidly'secured a rearwardlyrprojecting hand piece or lever 26.

By pressing downward on this lever 26, the brakes may be applied to thewheels, or, if pulled laterally by an operator, the train may be steeredin any desired direction, when. the same is backing up.

As shown, the rock shaft 23 is removably journaled in pairs of openseats 27 formed in the ends of the side channels of the rec-, tangularframe 4. By thus removahly mounting the brakes, the-same may be read ilyapplied to the rear end. of the rear cartofthe train, whenever a cart isadded or de tached from. the train. In reversing the direction of travelof the train it is only necessary to turn the tractor around and attachthe same to the other end of the train, and change the-brakes from'oneend of the train 1 to the other.

That I claim is:

1. A cart comprising a rectangular frame,

having inwardly projecting flanges located i below its upper face, abolster secured to the transverse center of said frame, wheels journaledon said bolster, dump doors securedto said frame, means for securlngsaid dump doors closed, and a body havmg its lower edge portiontelescoped within said frame and removably supported on the inwardlyprojecting flanges thereof.

2. A. cart comprisingza rectangular frame, having inwardly projectingflanges located below its upper face, a bolster-secured to thetransverse center of said frame, wheels journaled on said bolster, a tiebar at the longitudinal center of the frame, resting on said bolster andhaving flanges, located in the supported on the inwardly projectingplane of the flanges of said frame, dump flanges of said frame. 10 doorssecured to said frame, and located be- In testimony whereof I affix'mysignature low the flanges of said tie bar and frame, in presence of twowitnesses.

means for securing said dump doors closed JOHN F. ALBRECHT. against theflanges of said tie bar and frame, Witnesses:

and a body having its lower edge portion HENRY A. THOENY,

telescoped within said frame and removably M. THOENY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

